The real value of a corporate app can be found in the data it collects.
But what if accessing that data is cumbersome and technically challenging? What if sending that data from the field to its intended destination takes time and exposes it to a potential security risk? Does it still have value then?
Yes, it does. And SOTI Snap Link, introduced in SOTI Snap 3.0, is an out-of-the-box utility which enables you to export data collected through a SOTI Snap app to internally configured destinations.
How SOTI Snap Link Works
Here’s a scenario: A transportation and logistics (T&L) organization uses an internal app built with SOTI Snap to capture critical information such as:
- Customer name
- Customer email
- Delivery address
- Items delivered
- Total cost of the delivery
- Dwelling type (e.g. house, apartment, condo, townhouse, etc.)
That data is sent, saved and accessible in SOTI Snap reports.
However, the T&L company wants to send information collected from its SOTI Snap app to destinations which are not publicly exposed, or which are housed behind a firewall or demilitarized zone (DMZ) network.
That’s where SOTI Snap Link comes in. It allows the SOTI Snap server to send data to a privately hosted Microsoft SQL server or internally hosted email server.
SOTI Snap Link in Action
SOTI Snap Link creates an outbound connection to SOTI Snap. The request comes from within, to access data that’s collected externally. Once a SOTI Snap app is built and deployed – and once a SOTI Snap Link is established – it is a four-step technical process to get the data from the app to its destination, by using either a Microsoft SQL database or an internally hosted email server to send app data as an email.
Step 1: End User Submits Data
-
This is where the SOTI Snap app collects information. Using the T&L example above, the end user (in this case, a delivery driver) would have inputted the customer’s name and email, the customer’s delivery address, the items delivered, total cost of the delivery and dwelling type.
Step 2: Data Reaches the SOTI Snap Server and an Export Rule is Executed
-
As usual, the data collected on the app is sent to the SOTI Snap server.
-
With SOTI Snap Link, an export rule determines that the data should be sent to a SOTI Snap Link agent, which allows you to determine exactly what you want to export to your internal database. The fields which appear on your app will also appear in the SOTI Snap Link agent. All you must do is select the fields you want to insert into your database. So, if dwelling type is not considered critical data, it does not need to be exported through SOTI Snap Link.
-
The export rule also allows for custom configurations. Referencing the T&L app example again, if the value of the total cost of delivery exceeds, say, $100 USD, you can setup SOTI Snap Link to only update the database with those records.
Step 3: Data Reaches a Local SOTI Snap Link Agent and is Sent to the Proper Destination
-
Now that the data is in your local environment, this step essentially tells the data where to go and how to get there.
-
With SOTI Snap Link, an export rule determines that the data should be sent to a local, internal database. This can be done through a Microsoft SQL server or through an email application.
Step 4: Data Reaches the Database
-
The data is now available for review on a local server, such as an SQL database or with an email notification, indicating that new data has been collected from the app.
Six More Benefits of SOTI Snap Link
Most companies in most industries don’t allow inbound connections of third-party apps into internal systems because it is a security risk.
Since SOTI Snap Link establishes an outbound connection, any security threats to data, devices or infrastructure are neutralized.
Other benefits include:
-
Data collected from an app – whether it’s being used around town or around the world – can be sent directly into a local server.
-
Convenient access to local databases from any laptop or desktop computer.
-
SOTI Snap Link simplifies your ability to update internal databases without having to build a complicated, expensive and time-consuming interface.
-
External data collected from the app can be transmitted to the internal database in near real-time and removed from SOTI Snap at the same time.
-
SOTI Snap Link is password protected, thus providing your organization with an extra layer of security to leverage.
-
Send app data to multiple destinations with SOTI Snap Link.
For More Information
SOTI Snap Link gets the data your SOTI Snap apps collect into your internal database faster and more securely than ever before.
For more information, you can download the SOTI Snap brochure and the SOTI Snap data sheet. Feel free to check out the SOTI Snap Link help page too for additional details.
You can also:
